Acupuncture in the US:
History Highlights
Enter the Legacy of Miriam Lee: A Trailblazer in American Acupuncture History.
In the annals of acupuncture history in the United States, few names shine as brightly as Dr. Miriam Lee. Her compassionate spirit and groundbreaking work laid the foundation for the legalization of acupuncture in the country.
She was arrested in 1974 for practicing medicine without a license. In those early days, acupuncture lacked the legal recognition it now enjoys, and acupuncturists were commonly arrested and prosecuted for engaging in the practice of acupuncture. Dr. Lee, a skilled and sought-after practitioner, drew people from far and wide, with patients often lining up at her doorstep in the early hours of the morning. She was so popular that one day her staircase collapsed under the weight of all those seeking her treatments.
Then came the arrest, a turning point in the history of acupuncture in the U.S.
During her trial, Dr. Lee's courtroom was packed with devoted patients, each a living testament to the impact of her treatments. They passionately shared stories of how acupuncture had surpassed any previous medical interventions, highlighting the profound healing she had brought to their lives.
It was this trial, coupled with the testimonials of those she had helped, that paved the way for a historic moment. Dr. Miriam Lee's work and the resounding support of her patients led to the legalization of acupuncture in California in 1976. She was the first licensed acupuncturist in the state. Her legacy lives on, not just in the annals of history, but in the very fabric of acupuncture's recognition across the nation and the ability to practice today.
Revolutionary Medicine: Cultivating Change to End Addiction
Although acupuncture has been used to treat a wide variety of health conditions for millennia, its application in addiction treatment is a more recent breakthrough.
The NADA protocol, also known as AcuDetox, are five points located on the ear that treat withdrawal symptoms, as well as stress, trauma, insomnia, and emotional disharmony.
The exciting discovery of these points occurred in the early 1970s, when a Chinese neurosurgeon named Hsiang-Lai Wen serendipitously found that needles inserted into the ear, intended for preoperative anesthetic, quelled the symptoms of opium withdrawal.
Auricular (or ear) acupuncture is a new advancement in Chinese medicine. It was developed by a French neurologist named Paul Nogier around 1950, and verified by the Chinese in the 1960s using thousands of patients.
The NADA treatment protocol is widely used today to support recovery from addiction and PTSD.
The use of these powerful ear points was pioneered in the US and further developed by Dr. Mutulu Shakur of the Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx, NY, at the height of the heroin epidemic of the 1970’s.
Through the work of activists and revolutionaries such as the Young Lords and the Black Panther Party, the Lincoln Detox Center was established. They sought an alternative to methadone to help their community recover from addiction.
Using acupuncture, the program achieved remarkable success, helping patients get clean in as few as ten days. By 1971, the clinic was detoxing 600 people every ten days.
Despite their transformative contributions, Dr. Shakur and his colleagues faced adversity. Dr. Shakur was arrested and endured over 35 years of incarceration. He regained his freedom in late 2022, and spent his final days with family and community before his passing in July of 2023.
The founders of Traveling Acupuncture Project are deeply inspired by Miriam Lee and Mutulu Shakur.
We extend our utmost respect and gratitude to these trailblazers.
Their invaluable work, alongside the legacy of other Chinese medical ancestors, has laid the foundation for the practice of acupuncture today.
More information
To learn more about Dr. Mutulu Shakur, the Lincoln Detox Center, and how acupuncture is a revolutionary medicine, we highly recommend the film Dope is Death. You can watch it for free on YouTube here.
For more on Dr. Miriam Lee, check out the book Insights of a Senior Acupuncturist, a must-read for Chinese medicine practitioners.